Venus Williams opens up about Serena Williams’ daughters Olympia and Adira’s reaction to her US Open doubles success

September 2, 2025

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The pairing of 45-year-old Venus Williams and 22-year-old Leylah Fernandez has entered the quarterfinals of the 2025 US Open women’s doubles event. The American-Canadian pair defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-4 on Monday.

Venus Williams said both her nieces (Serena Williams’ daughters), Olympia and Adira, have been cheering for their aunt during the ongoing US Open. She received a video of them and found it adorable.

“Well, I just got a video of my nieces watching the match and yelling my name,” Venus said. “The little one is, you know, barely two and not even two yet and, and, or she is two and she’s just yelling. And so I feel like I’m getting quality time with them still, even though I’m not there.”

Seeing Venus doing so well for herself after returning to tour after 16 months, a reporter wondered if this would lead to 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams coming to watch her sister's match. Venus, who won 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles with Serena, got candid about the question while saying she would be happy.

"If she came, it would be a dream for both of us," Venus said. "And we'd have her on the court coaching and we'd force her to hit, even though she doesn't hit often. So it's probably best she doesn't come. Cause we just like probably bully her."

According to ESPN, Serena Williams is continuously giving tips to the pair during the ongoing US Open. Venus revealed about the same but ordered her sister to show up in the box.

"She's so happy for Leylah and I, and she's given us advice," Williams said. "We just need her in the box. So, my message is, 'Serena, you need to show up.'"

Venus Williams also participated as a wild card entry in the women's singles and also in mixed doubles. She suffered a first-round exit against 13th-seeded Karolina Muchova. Meanwhile, her partnership with Reilly Opelka didn't last long, as the duo was defeated by Muchova and Andrey Rublev in their first match.

Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez to face US Open women's doubles top seed

On Tuesday, Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez will face their toughest challenge yet. They are set for a highly anticipated showdown with the tournament’s top-seeded pair, Katerina Siniaková and Taylor Townsend.

Venus and Fernandez began their campaign with a victory over the sixth-seeded team of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez, upsetting them 7-6 (4), 6-3 in front of a Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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